Method of making metallic ribbon



March 19, 1940. BLOUNT ET AL 2,193,856

METHOD 0F MAKING METALLIC RIBBON Filed May 8, 1937 0F TAPE Q /00% C/eoss 55mm/wu. 4195A Arm/QMSY Patented Mar. 19, 1940 2,193,856

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING METALLIC RIBBON Harry Blount and Harold P. Arkema, Baltimore, Md., assignors to Western Electric Company', Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 8, 1937, Serial No. 141,480

6 Claims. (Cl. 205-21) This invention relates toA a method of making metallic ribbon, and more particularly to a method of drawing such a ribbon from a round wire.

The die mountings I4 and I5 have die elements 22 with parallel surfaces secured thereto by processes Well known in the art. The die elements may be made of diamonds or other suitable ma- Heretofore it has been the practice in some interials such as tungsten carbide or the like. The 5 stances to draw a round Wire to a predetermined die mountings are spaced apart a predetermined size and then atten it out by passing it between distance by means of a combined ribbon guide a pair of rolls. On account of the high presand spacer 23. This spacer maintains the die elesure per square inch on the rolls Where they are ments 22 a predetermined distance apart and in contact with the wire, the rolls wear rapidly also assists in maintaining them parallel to each l0 and also the grain of the metal will extend transother. When the edges of the die elements beversely of the ribbon due to the lateral expansion, come worn, they may be refinished and the spacer which is an undesirable feature. 23 is then ground down to such a length as to An object of the present invention is to provide re-establish the desired or original SDaCng- The an effective and efticient method for drawing a Spacer has a conical aperture 26 which aids in l5 metallic ribbon of high quality. guiding the ribbon as it leaves the die elements.

In accordance with one embodiment of the in- Fig. 5 illustrates a ribbon 24 being drawn through vention a wire is selected of substantially greater the die by a capstan 5. In actual practice, of cross-'sectional area than arwire which is to be Course, a ribbon is formed by passing through rolled flat, and the Wire is then drawn successivea number of dies successively in accordance with 20 ly on two diametrically opposite sides until a ribcommon practice in the wire drawing art. bon of the desired thickness is obtained. A com- As a specific illustration of making a metallic plete understanding of the invention may be had ribbon in accordance with the invention a typical by reference to the following description, taken example will be given as exemplified graphically in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in Fig. 7. In this figure the abscissae represent 25 in which area and the ordinates represent diameter or Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a die and die thickness. holder; 4 Referring to curve A, a wire of circular cross- Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the die members; section having a diameter of .0158 is selected Fig. 3 is a side view of a die member; representing a cross-sectional area of 100 per 3g Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a combined die memcent. This wire is then drawn successively ber spacer and ribbon guide; through the dies until its cross-sectional area is Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the die 7.75 per cent of its original cross-sectional area. and die holder of Fig. 1, including a fragmen- The wire is drawn successively through the dies tary view of aeapstan; which engage only two diametrically opposite 35 Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line sides of the Wire, and the edges of the ribbon be- 5-6 0f Fig. 5l and l ing formed do not engage the die elements and Fig- 7 iS @1 graphic lllllslratloll 0f the fofmatlo are not drawn. It is surprising that, even though of a metfalhc ribbon from a: clrcular Wirethe edges ofthe ribbon are not drawn, and even Refer-1`mg now more parmculrly to the draw* though thereI is a slight increase in the width 40 .lg a d1@ holder s 1.5 shown 1.13Vmg a bottom por' of the ribbon during the drawing operations, the gra'd W3 pgmrlgr edges of the ribbon remain smooth and straight. The inner face of the base of the die holder is Ytvh he nbbon attatlps al tn lkgfsf 022ml provided with a pair of grooves I2, leaving a flat 1 in We a cross-Sec 19m al? up .dth portion I3 upon which the die mountings I4 and of lts Ongmal crss'sectlonal ,alea and le W1 I5 rest. The die mounting I4 abuts against a of the r1bbon will be only slightly greater than dowel pin I6, and its upper surface rests against-l the original diameter of the wire 1n the specic a dow-e1 pin The die mounting |5 has a example illustrated in curve A; the width of the dowel resting against its upper surface' ribbon after being drawn to a thickness Of .0009" and the outer end of this mounting abuts againstA iS 0l'75", Which S Only Slightly greater than the a set screw |9 After this set srew has been Original diameter 0f .0158". 'Since the reducturned into position, it is held in position by tion in the cross-sectional area. is accomplished drawing up a screw 2| which clamps the set screw almost entirely by elongation, the grain of the metal will extend longitudinally of the ribbon, re-

I9 between the upright portions I I.

sulting in a ribbon of high tensile strength and excellent fatigue resistance.

Curve B illustrates a method in common use in which the wire is rst reduced in circular form by drawing and is then flattened by forming it between rolls. Thus, beginning with a wire of the same diameter as in the preceding illustration of .0158", the wire is drawn in circular form to .0045 in diameter, at which. time it will also have 7.75 per cent of its original cross-sectional area. At this point the wire is then formed between rolls, reducing the diameter from .0045" to a thickness of .0009, in which there is practically no change in the cross-sectional area. The grain of the metal will therefore extend almost in its entirety transversely of the ribbon. A ribbon made in accordance with the invention will therefore have far superior physical properties.

It will be understood that the nature and embodiment of the invention described is merely illustrative and that many changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a metallic ribbon which comprises drawing a wire of circular cross-section through a circular die opening until its diameter is substantially equal to the width of the ribbon to be made and then drawing the wire on two diametrically opposite sides leaving the edges unrestrained to obtain the desired thickness of ribbon.

2. A method of making a metallic ribbon which comprises drawing a wire of circular cross-section through a circular die opening until its diameter is substantially equal to the width of the ribbon to be made and then continuously reducing its thickness by drawing solely on two opposite sides until a ribbon of the desired thickness is obtained.

3. A method of making a metallic ribbon which comprises drawing a wire of circular cross-section through a circular die opening until its diameter is substantially equal to the Width of the ribbon to be made and then forming a ribbon substantially entirely by longitudinal deformation by reducing one diameter of said wire Without changing substantially a perpendicular diameter of the Wire, whereby the grain of the metal will extend longitudinally of the ribbon.

4. A method of making a metallic ribbon which comprises drawing a Wire of circular cross section through a circular die opening until its diameter is substantiallyequal to the width of the ribbon to be made and then drawing the wire between die elements having straight parallel faces forming a slot substantially wider than the width oi the ribbon being formed to form a ribbon having a width substantially similar to the diameter of the wire before it was drawn between said parallel faces.

5. A method of making a metallic ribbon of a thickness of the order of .0009 inch which comprises drawing a Wire of circular cross-section through a circular die opening until its diameter is of the order of .0158 inch and then drawing the wire on two4 diametrically opposite sides until it has the stated thickness Without changing its dimension substantially along another diameter, whereby the grain of the metal will extend longitudinally of the ribbon.

6. A method of making a metallic ribbon of a. thickness of the order of .0009 inch and a width of the order of .0175 inch which comprises drawing a Wire of circular crosssection until its diameter is of substantially the width of the ribbon to be made and then reducing the wire along one diameter until the stated thickness is obtained.

HARRY BLOUNT. HAROLD P. ARKEMA. 

